The Things We Never Say Out Loud
by DrawnToTheRhythm
Summary: She's so screwed. Drabble of sorts that turned into this. SJ
1. Chapter 1

The Colonel's mouth was pressed into a hard line, stony eyes shining with barely concealed rage. His usual fidgeting had stilled as though he were frozen to the spot, every tanned and toned muscle in his body tense and taught like piano strings. Waiting to pounce. His anger was directed towards the man standing in front of him. Some goddamn Pentagon windbag who had probably never been on the wrong of a gun in his life. Jack forced his fingers into fists by his sides and bounced on his heels, long eyelashes fixed into place as he refused to even blink. Slowly, carefully, the corner of his mouth turned upwards that another person would have mistaken for a smile but she knew better. His was the warning signal of a trained assassin. Dark, sparkling eyes continued to pierce a hole through the man in front of him, refusing to back down. No one in the room dared to move.

As she silently stared, Sam drew in a short, sharp breath, loud like a gunshot in her head. She'd never been more turned on in her life.

She was _so_ screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam bolted from the room as soon as their late evening meeting was over and headed straight for the shared locker room. Stripping down to her underwear, she grabbed a towel from the pile by the entrance to the showers and headed for the farthest shower stall. Stripping off completely she flipped the pressure to high and the temperature to just above freezing. Stepping under the pounding spray, she ran her hands through her hair and tilted her face up into the streaming water. Her eyelids squeezed more tightly together as they resisted both the force and icy temperatures but Sam refused to move for several minutes.

Finally, with a shaking hand, she shut off the water and stepped out of the stall. Quickly drying herself off, she re-entered the locker room and dressed in record time, her body still shaking from the cold. Opening the locker room door she groaned inwardly. Leaning against the wall, towel flung across his arm and leaning casually with one foot flat against the wall, Jack O'Neill looked up at her surprised.

Icy water dripped down the back of her neck from her still-wet hair and she shivered involuntarily. Jack narrowed his eyes at her as she struggled to control her trembling muscles. He gave a her a slow once-over and cocked his head to the side.

"Ah... we out of hot water, Carter?"

Sam's face burned but it was a toss-up as to whether it was from the cold or the rapidly rising heat flushing her cheeks.

"No, Sir."

Jack watched as her cheeks flushed an interesting shade of rouge and noted that she couldn't quite meet his eyes. Huh. A slow, lazy smile formed on his face as his eyes twinkled. He pushed himself off the wall and went to step past her, pausing only inches from her ear and turning into her.

"As you were, Captain." He whispered low in her ear, his breath tickling the short hair behind her ear. And, without another word, he was gone.

So much for that cold shower.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack stood up from his chair and gathered together his papers before placing them back into his leather binder and sliding it across the table. He glanced up to see Sam about to leave.

"Carter!" He called after her, making her pause and turn back toward him.

"Yes, Sir?"

He cleared his throat.

"So, since we have so much accumulated leave I figured I'd drive up to my cabin for the long weekend."

Sam smiled.

"That's great, Sir. Have fun!"

He pinned her with a frown.

"What I'm talking about here, Sam, is a nice relaxing break. Relaxing being the operative word." He paused as she smiled at him. She still wasn't taking the hint.

He casually leaned a hand on the table, the other on his hip, involuntarily flexing his arm muscles as he did so. Crossing one foot over the other at his ankles, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, if you'd prefer to stay here with your machines..." He trailed off and looked at her expectantly.

Sam opened her mouth to speak but clasped her mouth shut at the last moment. She took in the length of his body from strong, lean legs to gently muscled abs and chest to that deliciously long, tanned expanse of neck peeking out from above the rounded neck of his standard issue black tee. And straight up into those beautiful brown eyes staring back at her expectantly.

Oh, there wasn't a chance in hell.

Sam coughed to cover her momentary slip of concentration and shook her head.

"As much as it's a tempting offer," she said lightly, cursing her slightly rough voice, "I really do have work to do."

He regarded her for a few moments longer before nodding sharply and standing up straight.

"No worries," he added jovially, a disappointed sparkle in his eyes, waving his hand at her in a shooing motion. "Go, play... have fun!"

She smiled her slightly awkward, tight smile at him.

"You too, Sir."

He sauntered towards the door, pausing as his passed her. Glancing toward the table where Daniel was engrossed in his paperwork, he turned his head back toward her and lowered his voice.

"One of these days, Carter... One of these days..." He trailed off staring into her eyes with a seriousness that he couldn't quite hide behind the teasing tone. He shoved his hands in his pockets and carried on.

Spinning on one foot to face the direction he'd headed, she saw him falter as she quietly responded under her breath.

"Yasureyabetcha, Jack."

She saw the beginnings of a smirk form at the corner of his mouth as he carried on down the corridor with a slight spring in his step.

Yes, one day, she would accept his invitation and on that day... She shook her head to clear it of some rather less than PG thoughts about her CO and his attire or lack thereof.

God, she wanted this war to end. Preferably before she spontaneously combusted.


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel and Teal'c sat quietly reading and kelnoreeming respectively in the cabin's living room, a low glow from the various lamps and candles filtered through to the kitchen.

Jack silently handed Sam a plate to dry as he buried his arms elbow-deep into a bowl of suds. Sam watched mesmerised as those slender tanned muscles rippled and twisted as they finished the simple task of washing the dishes. Too late Sam realised he was holding another plate out to her expectantly. She looked up at his face to find him grinning at her, his eyes reflecting more than a little of the heat in her gaze right back at her. The shadows bounced off the lines on his face, making his eyes appear even darker in the low light from the single lightbulb in the centre of the room. Taking the plate from his hands, swiftly drying it and adding it to the pile on the counter, Sam watched as he emptied the plastic bowl of water down the drain then grabbed a tea towel and rubbed it between his graceful hands and along his wrists.

Jack watched Sam's face intently as she stared fixated at his arms as he dried them. His eyes sparkled as he recalled a number of times over the years that he'd caught her staring at him with that look. He'd had his fair share of women over the years, enough to know what it meant. His spine tingled at the thrill of realising that he, grumpy old Jack O'Neill, could set this beautiful, amazing woman on edge. For so many years he'd longed to take her in his arms and show her exactly how much he appreciated that look but he couldn't. Until now. He smiled to himself as he realised that, after so long, there was finally nothing between them but themselves.

Slowly stepping forward until he invaded her personal space just a little too closely to be misinterpreted, he gazed down at her as she snapped out of her reverie to stare up at him with those large blue eyes of hers.

"Sam..." he whispered as he lowered his lips to hers, grazing them ever-so-lightly, seeking her permission. Just as he began to pull away, Sam's hands reached up around his head to pull him back down towards her as her fingers buried themselves into his soft grey hair. Sweeping her tongue across his lips, he groaned as his tongue sought hers, pulling her closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed her backwards towards the counter and she lifted herself up, wrapping her legs around his hips as he lowered her onto the counter, bringing her eye level with him. He pulled back just as her cold hand snaked up the back of his shirt. She grinned at him.

"I've been wanting to do that for so long," she all but panted as she struggled to catch her breath. He beamed at her.

"I know." He replied smugly. She frowned at him. "Word of advice, never play poker," he replied.

She tilted an eyebrow at him.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She probed, looking slightly affronted.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Remember that day outside the locker room. Back before you had a separate one?" He asked.

Sam narrowed her eyes.

"Two words: cold shower"; he was outright gloating now.

Sam chuckled and buried her head in his shoulder before looking back up at him.

"You remembered that?" She asked incredulously.

Jack nodded firmly.

"Kinda hard to forget the day you discover your gorgeous, young 2IC is taking cold showers on account of you," he said in a low gravelly voice.

Sam frowned at him again.

"Your pupils dilated the second I stepped towards you in the corridor," he explained, "and you didn't flinch a muscle so weren't scared of me... I don't remember much from my anatomy class, but I do remember what _that_ particular reaction means," he laughed, "that and you were shivering your butt off and bright pink."

Sam's ears turned pink.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her, brushing a thumb along the curve of her ear. "I've taken many cold showers over the past 8 years on account of..." He paused, kissing her softly. "There were times you would smile at me and I found myself cursing Hammond for being there. He was sometimes all that stopped me from pinning to you the briefing room table."

Sam pulled him closer with her legs and pressed her hips against him.

"What, like this?" She purred at him.

"Something like that," he said, capturing his lips with hers once more. Sam miewed in protest as he pulled away to kiss his way along her neck, gasping as he found a sweet spot just below her left ear. Her hands frantically worked at the buttons on his shirt as he pulled her T-shirt over her head and threw it aside. He kissed his way along her breastbone, down between her breasts and the crease of her stomach before she pulled him back up to her lips. Her socked foot slid up the back of his thigh, making him moan and pulled her closer, his hands trailing a blaze across the smooth skin of her back. She pulled back to gaze into his eyes.

"Bed," she panted breathlessly. Jack's eyes shone momentarily before he remembered the guys in the other room. Nodding over his shoulder towards the living room, he gave her a questioning frown.

"The guys?" He queried and Sam gave him a wicked smirk.

"I don't want them joining us if that's what you mean," she whispered as his eyes bulged. Shaking her head with silent laughter, she put her lips to his ear. "We can be quiet." She untangled her legs from him, reluctantly replaced her T-shirt and hopped off the counter. "Meet you in your room in 5," she whispered before disappearing out of the door. He heard her bid the guys a swift goodnight as she faked a yawn and, after readjusting his shirt and trousers, he followed a few minutes later.

He stopped in the middle of the living room.

"Right, well it's been a long day and I'm pretty beat so..." he said, gesturing awkwardly with his thumb down the hall. Daniel smirked into his book but resolutely refused to look up.

"Night Jack," he said flatly as Jack hesitated for a moment then carried on down the hall.

"Oh, and Jack?" He added, causing him to pause mid-step and turn back sharply.

"Yeah?"

Daniel stared up over the rim of his glasses at him.

"You missed a button," he added, staring pointedly at his shirt.

Jack looked down then up before he could stop himself. Busted!

Daniel returned his attention back to his book, hiding a smirk poorly.

"Sweet dreams!" He yelled after his retreating form as he shared a knowing look with Teal'c.

Teal'c watched as Jack retreated down the hall and spoke as soon as his bedroom door shut.

"I believe you owe me one hundred dollars, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel frowned as he reached into his pocket and slapped a handful of bills into Teal'c's outstretched hand.

"Cheater!"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This is where it gets hot and sweaty. If that's not your thing, please skip this chapter!

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Jack slowly opened the door and peered round to check that Carter wasn't standing directly behind it. The room was dark save for the moonlight shining through the open curtains. He slipped inside the room closing the door firmly behind him and locking it for good measure. He sure as hell didn't want any interruptions tonight. Turning back to the bed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he froze.

Sam lay on her side on _his_ comforter in _his_ bed wearing a figure-hugging scrap of satin and lace that she most definitely hadn't been wearing five minutes earlier. He blinked twice. When he opened his eyes, Sam was regarding him with an amused expression and was patting the bed impatiently next to her. Kicking off his shoes and almost tripping over the rug in his haste, he recovered himself and slid onto the edge of the bed. He gave her a long, slow once-over, taking in every inch of pale skin highlighted in the moonlight. God, she was beautiful. And, it would seem, his.

He ran a hand over her silky smooth shoulder and down the arm that was propping her up.

"Nice outfit," he choked out, clearing his throat. Sam grinned.

"Yeah, I thought you might like it when I packed it," she stated matter of factly.

Jack swallowed loudly.

"So there was... planning involved, huh?"

Sam bit her lip and looked down at his hands, stroking his fingers.

"Maybe," she responded casually.

"And if I hadn't taken you up on your enticing little offer?" He asked cheekily.

Sam rolled her eyes.

"There's always Teal'c or Daniel," she said lightly, raising an eyebrow at him. Jack stared at her in mock horror and slid an arm round her waist. Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, they're gonna have to get through me first." He said as he reached forward to kiss her. Sam ran her fingers along his strong arms and shifted across the bed, pulling him down on top of her and hooking a leg around his hip. Jack deepened the kiss as he ran a hand up her leg from her knee to her hip, kneeding the soft flesh on the side of her hip with his hand as he went. Sam shivered under his fingers.

"Cold, Carter?" He asked, smiling. She shook her head, not trusting her voice. Instead she pulled him back down to her and pressed her hips up into his as he met her halfway. Her fingers worked at the buttons on his shirt and she groaned frustratedly at him.

"Could you not just wear t-shirts?" She mumbled at him, struggling with the last button and instead tugging the offending article over his head. Jack grinned into her shoulder. This was a side of Carter he'd never seen before! Once divested of the shirt with endless buttons, she reached down to unbutton his jeans. Flipping him over, she kissed her way down his chest and stomach, his chest hair tickling her nose, nipping and sucking her way along until she reached his jeans. With one deft tug at the soft-washed denim, his jeans were on the floor, soon to be joined by his boxer shorts as she scratched her nails along the curve of his ass as she removed them. Jack hissed loudly.

"Shhh!" She held a finger to her lips, "They'll hear us!"

Jack smirked.

"I'm pretty sure they already know," he said, noting her blush. "Not much gets past Teal'c. He has ears like a bat!"

Sam slid her way back up his body, the satin gliding along his tanned skin.

"Maybe we should buy him some earplugs tomorrow then," she offered helpfully before lowering her lips to the scar on his shoulder. She pressed her lips to the silvery-white imperfection and traced her fingers lightly across it. It was where the orb had speared him years earlier. Jack lifted his head to look at her.

"If you're gonna do that with all of my scars, we're gonna be here a while," he quipped. Sam looked up from her ministrations.

"That's the idea," she stated firmly before resuming her activities. His head hit the bed with a muffled thud.

"Then, by all means, continue!"

Sam took her time placing gentle kisses across every scar she found, occasionally stopping when she found one she couldn't recall an injury for before moving onto the next. She seemed to favour the ones on his shoulder the most. After the third time of her kissing the orb scar, he placed a gentle hand under her chin and made her look at him.

"Carter..." He began then rethought it, "_Sam_," he corrected, "why the obsession with that scar? Because if it's got anything to do with guilt or any other similarly ridiculous idea in that genius head of yours, you can stop that right now!" He admonished sternly. She looked a little surprised then broke out into a sly grin.

"It's not what you think," she stated warmly. He gave her an exasperated huff.

"So then, what gives?"

Sam ran a hand along his bicep and up across his shoulders.

"I _might_ have developed a slight... pre-occupation with your shoulders and arms over the past few years," she confessed. He stared at her blankly. "What?" She asked defensively, "They're... sexy! And they were the only part of your body that I got to see on a semi-regular basis."

Jack smirked.

"Oh?"

Sam sat up, her assault on his scars slightly forgotten in her mild embarrassment. She ducked her head as she heard him chuckle.

"Is that why you want me to wear t-shirts?" He asked in an amused tone. Sam shrugged awkwardly.

"Or, you know, you could at least roll your sleeves up like you usually do with your BDU shirts!"

He propped himself up on his elbows and regarded her with wide eyes.

"So, what you're telling me here, Carter, is that you are requesting that I stick to black t-shirts and short-sleeved shirts so that you can admire my arms during briefings?"

"Well, maybe not so much in briefings now that I've seen you completely naked."

"Why, Carter? Too distracting for you? You never know, you might need another cold shower!" He said laughing as she swatted at his arm.

"God, you're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope!" He replied, grinning.

Once his laughter subsided, it suddenly hit him that here was the object of several years' worth of fantasies, dressed in lingerie in his bed while he was naked and he was... making small talk about t-shirts and cold showers! Jeez, O'Neill, pay attention! So not the time. His eyes darkened as he ran his gaze across her body.

He reached across the gap between them and kissed her deeply. Sam, surprised by his sudden change in mood, was unprepared for his lips on hers and the way her brain short circuited left her woozy. She sank into the mattress as he leaned over her, laying slow kisses on her lips, teasing her lips between his teeth before running his tongue across them, coaxing her tongue with his in a dizzying game of cat and mouse. The feel of her breasts pressed against the firm wall of his chest was nearly his undoing. He pushed the strap of her silky gown to one side and down her arm until he could brush the lace down and under her breast. He rubbed her sensitive tip with his thumb, causing her to gasp and arch into him. Sliding his hands up the sides of her hips, he pushed up the satin until it reached her chest then motioned for her to lift her arms so that he could remove it. She obliged oh-so-willingly before pulling him back to crush him against her mouth once more. His hand reached down to run across the last scrap of fabric between them. He began stroking her through her silky underwear and she tilted her hips up towards him. She was hot to the touch and he could feel her wetness seeping through the thin fabric. He groaned as he slipped a finger into the elastic and pulled them down, travelling down the length of her legs until he could toss them aside.

Sam drew a pointed toe along his spine as he came back up to brace himself above her. He lowered his hips down between hers as she wrapped her thighs around him. She wiggled her hips to find a better angle then pressed her hips up, taking him in in one long, slow stroke. He gasped at the sudden contact as his hand slipped beneath him and he landed on his elbow to avoid slamming his entire body weight onto her. His face was millimeters from hers and she took full advantage as she lifted her head to meet his lips as she buried him deeper inside her. He slowly began to rock his hips against hers in a steady rhythm as she met him stroke for stroke, her palms trembling against his bicep. He suddenly changed angle and Sam bit down on his shoulder in lieu of screaming his name for everyone in the cabin to hear. Jack arched his back, with an intoxicating mix of pleasure and pain as Sam sucked at the imprint she'd left on his shoulder.

"Oh, God, Jack!" She whispered in his ear as she dug her fingers into his back. He responded by kissing her firmly, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as her skin glistened with a faint sheen of sweat. The damp hair around her hairline began to curl as her fringe clung to her forehead. The moonlight gave her a white gold halo and Jack marvelled at the beauty of the woman coming apart under his touch.

"God, Sam," he replied breathily, running a thumb along her cheekbone, "I love you so goddamn much," he said gruffly, burying his face in her neck and holding her to him as her breath became shallower. He could feel her whole body trembling under the strain of holding back.

Sam held him to her, one hand cupping the back of his neck as she lifted her head to whisper in his ear.

"I love you too, Jack, I'm so, so sorry!" she breathed, biting back a sob and the sudden tears that welled up at the thought that they, she, was so close to letting him go forever.

He drew back to look in her eyes.

"Sam, don't..." He said softly, wiping a stray tear away. "No regrets, no apologies. We're here, the rest doesn't matter." She smiled a teary smile at him and sniffed. He pressed a kiss to her nose, her forehead, her jawline and finally planted a searing kiss on her lips. Sam gasped as he picked up the pace again and he could feel her shaking under him. He brushed his lips to her ear.

"Come for me," he whispered against the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears, so quietly that she barely heard his request. "Come for me, Samantha." That one she definitely heard. She threw her head back, took several shallow breaths then pulled his mouth towards hers as white flashed behind her eyelids and her vision blurred. She fought to keep her eyes open, looking straight into his eyes. Jack bit back a groan as her eyelids fluttered and she shook beneath him, her body tightening around him, her insides trembling as she struggled for breath, whispering his name over and over. One final thrust and he was coming with her, gulping down air as he closed his eyes against the rush of blood, the pounding of his heart.

"God, Carter!" He breathed, "So, so good..."

She was still clenching around him.

"Oh, Sir..." She breathed and he could've sworn his heart stopped for a second as he thrust into her hard one last time, feeling the tension leave her as she came back down to earth. He collapsed onto her in a tangle of limbs and closed his eyes, just breathing. Once his breathing was starting to fall under his control, he began a deep, throaty, exhausted chuckle into her shoulder in between breaths, shaking his head in disbelief.

Cupping the back of his head with her hand, she pressed him to her before realising he was shaking with almost silent laughter. Pulling her head back she regarded him with a wary smile.

"What's so funny?" She asked, smiling at his apparent unrestrained joy. He propped himself up on his elbow beside her and stroked the hair away from her face.

"That, right there, was about eight years' worth of fantasies in one word," he said, his breathing slowing gradually and regarding her with wide, loving eyes.

Sam smiled at him and furrowed her brow.

"Why, what did I say?" She asked curiously.

He was positively beaming at her.

"When you..." he said, gesturing at her, "you, ah, called me 'Sir'."

Sam clasped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"I did not!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flaming despite the sheen of sweat.

He nodded smugly.

"You did." He stated firmly. The grin was now threatening to split his face.

Sam buried her face in his neck and groaned. He patted the back of her hair.

"Well, I did call you 'Carter' I suppose..." he added as he pulled her closer against the sudden chill on his skin. Sam shuddered. Slowly he sat them both up and pulled the comforter from underneath them, draping it over them before settling back down and pulling Sam so that her head was lying on his chest, one leg draped over his hip and snuggled into his side. His arm lay under her neck while the other wrapped around her and held her to him.

"God, Sam, that was incredible," he said, tucking his chin into her hair. Sam drew lazy circles across his chest and placed her palm over his still-thudding heart.

"Right back atcha, Jack," she said, emphasising his name.

He looked down into her eyes and smirked.

"What happened to 'Sir'?" He said jokingly as she punched his arm and then snuggled down to sleep.

"For that, you owe me breakfast," she announced sleepily before yawning and closing her eyes. He was about to protest when he noticed the sudden change in her breathing. He looked down to find her asleep against him. Hugging her tighter, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off into the best night's sleep he'd had in more years than he cared to count.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack stirred awake to find sunlight streaming through the open curtains. Bleary-eyed he reached to check his watch only to find he couldn't move his arm. He looked down to see a fast asleep and very naked Sam Carter snuggled into his side as memories of the previous night assaulted his senses. He smiled to himself as he watched her sleep, reaching across to brush a stray hair out of her face as he leant down to kiss her gently. Sam stirred as he brushed his lips to hers and sleepily she reached up and pulled him to her. Returning the kiss, Sam opened her eyes to smile at him.

"Mmmm, morning," she mumbled before covering her mouth to hide a yawn.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he replied before giving her a cheeky grin and lifting the comforter to peek underneath before dropping it back down on top of her before she could protest at the sudden rush of cold air.

"What was that for?" She queried. Jack wiggled his eyebrows.

"Just checking if last night really happened and that it wasn't some rather incredible dream," he responded. Sam propped herself up on her elbows.

"Have a lot of dreams like that, do we?" She asked with a hint of amusement, looking him up and down.

He coughed and looked away.

"I'm, uh, gonna plead the fifth on that one."

Sam laughed into his arm.

"For the record I might have had one or two myself," she offered casually. Jack turned to face her and rested his chin on his hand.

"Oh, is that so? Anything you'd like to share?"

Sam grinned slyly at him.

"Maybe I'll show you once the boys are gone," she whispered in his ear.

He ran a finger along the outside of her leg, up across her hip, along her ribs and up to cup her jaw.

"Mmm, sounds fun..." He murmured before leaning down and kissing her lazily. Just as he began to deepen the kiss she pulled away and pointed to the door.

"Bathroom," she added, pushing back the blankets and hissing as her feet hit the cold wooden floor. Sam walked to the dresser to retrieve her jeans and t-shirt from on top where she'd left them the previous night and Jack leant back with his head on the pillows, one arm behind his head, admiring the view as Sam leaned forward to put a leg into her jeans. Jumping slightly to pull them up, he heard the buzz of the zipper being pulled up as she faced away from him and caught a tantalising view of the side of her breast as she reached up to pull the t-shirt over her head. Jack groaned and she abruptly turned to face him.

"Whose idea was it to invite the guys again?" He complained.

"Jack..." She warned.

He sighed.

"I know, I know. It's nice to spend time together when we're not getting shot at but... doesn't mean I can't wish we were alone so I could make you scream my name over and over for the next week."

Sam blushed.

"In case you'd forgotten you did a pretty good job of that already last night," she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

Jack grinned smugly.

"I remember. In fact, I have the scars to show for it," he added, tapping the red bruise on his shoulder where she'd bitten him to keep from screaming, "that's gonna be an interesting one to explain to Dr Brightman when I get back to the base."

Sam waved a hand at him.

"I can even it up and give you a matching one on the other side if you like?" She offered helpfully. "You could say you were attacked by a bear or something?"

Jack regarded her skeptically.

"Yeah, a bear that has a particular fondness for biting my shoulders. That'll fly." He rolled his eyes. "Although, if you call me 'Sir' again in the middle of..., you can bite me again anytime!"

Sam threw a sock at him.

"I can put my Mess Dress on and salute you too, if you'd like!" She replied sarcastically. Jack's eyes lit up. "Seriously?" She asked as her eyes widened.

"Hey, I can't help it if you look hot in it!" He whined defensively.

Sam grinned.

"Well, I did occasionally have... thoughts about ripping that tie off you and sitting in your lap..." Sam trailed off, picturing him cutting a fine figure in his own Mess Dress. "You do have a better cover than that bowler hat they make me wear!"

"My, my, Carter," Jack tutted at her, "And here I was thinking you were the model of professionalism and decorum."

Sam grinned.

"Oh, I am, Sir... on the outside," she added, blushing as she realised she'd used his honorific again as a reflex.

Jack rubbed the back of his head.

"I've gotta say, Carter, I thought the whole 'Officer and a Gentleman' thing would lose its appeal what with being surrounded by men in uniform for the last couple of decades," he asked, surprised.

"Richard Gere? Pfft! Give me some credit," she scoffed, "Air Force Blue trumps Navy White every time. Plus, all due respect to General Hammond, but there aren't many Generals who look like you," she added, waving her recently retrieved toothbrush at him.

Jack grinned.

"Ditto, Colonel," he responded with a grin.

She grinned slyly at him.

"Also, I'm more of a George Clooney girl myself." Jack frowned, "He has better hair." She added, leaning across the bed and running a hand slowly through Jack's hair. She leaned in close to his lips. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," she whispered before bouncing off the bed and toward the door before he could react.

Jack ran a hand through his hair and let out a low whistle.

"Hair, Carter obsession number 2. Got it."

He jumped up and took his time putting on his jeans and pulled a t-shirt from the drawer beside his plaid shirts.

Out in the corridor he heard the bathroom faucet running and the clink of a toothbrush being put into the holder moments before the door opened and Sam emerged.

"Let me just grab my towel and I'm gonna go for a shower," she said softly before heading for the bedroom. Jack nodded and headed for the bathroom.

Quickly using the facilities and brushing his teeth, he opened the door to find Sam leaning against the wall, towel, wash bag and change of clothes in one hand. Sam stood in front of him and placed a palm against his chest.

"Won't be long," she said, "Why don't you go put on some coffee for Daniel?"

"Mmm, 'kay," he acquiesced as he hand stroked his shirt.

"Nice t-shirt," she offered quietly.

Jack took her hand and wrapped his own around it before leaning down and placing a soft kiss to her lips. Just as he pulled away, Sam leant forward and brushed her lips a little more firmly against his, running her tongue teasingly along his lips. He cupped the back of her neck with his free hand and pulled her closer-

The sound of a throat being cleared made them snap apart, Sam's wash bag crashing to the floor, as Sam reflexively took a step back. They looked up to find Daniel grinning at them and readjusting his glasses.

"Morning," he greeted, a knowing expression on his face.

Teal'c appeared from around the corner.

"Is everything well? I heard a crashing sound." He enquired.

Daniel twitched his eyebrows towards Teal'c.

"Everything's fine. Sam just dropped her wash bag when I caught these two making out in the hallway." He replied, smirking at Sam who was now staring at him with her best 'I can't believe you just said that!' expression. Daniel raised his coffee mug towards them. "Congrats, by the way," he said smiling, "Teal'c and I were kinda hoping it wouldn't take you another eight years to get your act together. We thought we might have to stage an intervention at some point this week," he looked at Teal'c who bowed, "Right, Teal'c?"

"Indeed."

Bending down to retrieve Sam's wash bag, Daniel wiggled his eyebrows at Jack's little grimace as he surreptitiously rubbed a twinge out of his back. He handed it to Sam who took it and nodded at the guys.

"Well, if we're all done discussing my personal life, I'd like to take a shower!" She announced, giving Daniel a stern stare and glancing apologetically at Jack who waved it off.

"There should be plenty of hot water," he said softly, squeezing her shoulder as she stepped past him and shut the door behind her, the sound of the lock sliding into place echoing in the silent hallway.

Jack turned to glare at Daniel who smirked at him over the rim of his coffee cup.

"Sore back, Jack?" He asked mischievously. "You want to be careful, you could do some serious damage at your age!"

Jack scowled and Daniel raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of his coffee.

The smile on Daniel's face faded.

"Seriously, Jack, I'm really happy for you," he nodded towards the bathroom. "It's about damn time you guys got a break."

Jack smiled almost shyly before nodding towards the bathroom door and glancing down. Walking towards Daniel, he threw an arm round his shoulder and turned him towards the kitchen.

"So, you guys must be starved! How does bacon and pancakes sound?"

Daniel patted him on the back.

"So long as you don't grill them on the barbecue!" Daniel added as Jack feigned offence and Teal'c followed at a more leisurely pace grinning to himself.

Today was indeed a very good day.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, yeah, apparently the muse isn't finished yet. For all of you asking for more, here it is!

Warning: this is another MA warning. Apparently the muse just finds these two far too irresistible not to write about.

%#%#%#%#%

"This is great! I can't believe we didn't do this years ago," Sam enthused, fishing rod in hand. Jack glanced over at her.

"Yes, well, let's not dwell," he grumbled, reeling in his own line. Rationally, he knew why she'd turned him down all these years but irrationally he still felt aggrieved that it had taken her eight years to get here.

Sam turned towards him and gave him a small smile and a knowing look and he couldn't help but smile back. Damn! And he was getting on so well with his grumpy old man routine too!

Just as he was about to reach over and kiss her, Daniel and Teal'c appeared carrying a large cooler between them. They set it down on the lawn beside the small dock as Teal'c began pulling out a picnic blanket and folding lawn chairs and, apparently, the world's largest bottle of bug spray and the entire contents of the vacation aisle of Walgreens. Jack raised an eyebrow at that.

"I was informed that there were several products effective at deterring bugs from feasting on my skin," Teal'c explained as Sam peered around Jack and poorly hid a snort behind a cough. "I have been informed that a product entitled 'Skin-so-soft' is the most effective, however, the makers of this bottle also make a similar claim. I shall endeavour to test them all."

Daniel picked up the bottle he'd just held up.

"Hey, you want to watch this stuff, Teal'c, it's 99% DEET," he warned, dropping the bottle and wiping his hands on the picnic blanket. Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Just try not to eat it, DEET is supposed to be carcinogenic."

At Teal'c's confused expression, Sam explained.

"It means it can cause cancer, Teal'c."

He bowed his head in thanks.

"I see. Why would a company sell a lethal poison to ward off bugs?" He enquired.

Jack snatched the bottle from his hand.

"Here, lemme see that!" He groused, squinting to read the tiny writing on the back of the bottle. He tossed it back to Teal'c. "Pshaw! We used to use that stuff all of the time back in Borneo, and are all still alive!" He replied indignantly then paused. "Well, mostly." He amended. "None of us died of cancer anyway."

He placed his rod to one side and jumped out of his chair.

"Right, well I'm just going to start the grill, anyone have any particular requests for dinner?" He asked, sweeping his arms out in front of him.

"Not steak!" Came the chorus of replies from the rest of SG-1. Jack pouted and Sam cleared her throat.

"It's not that we don't appreciate a good steak now and then-"

"-Good being the operative word!" Daniel interrupted and she frowned at him before continuing.

"- it's just that we've had the same dinner every night this week."

Jack nodded and frowned at his feet before clasping his hands together and smiling.

"I have a freezer full of trout, how does that sound?"

"Perfect," Sam responded with a smile, placing her fishing rod back into its stand and standing up. "Let me give you a hand."

Daniel looked up at her and smirked, causing her to blush and scowl at him. Daniel rolled his eyes at her before settling down to read a book. By his side Teal'c lay on the blanket glistening with the recently applied mix of moisturisers and bug sprays and his bucket hat resting atop his face.

%#%#%#%#%#

Jack returned from the store room carrying 5 large trout just as Sam finished chopping the salad. She arranged it nicely in a large bowl and covered it with a plate before putting it into the fridge for later. She handed Jack the roll of tin foil and he set about carefully wrapping each fish. He stepped out onto the deck to check the barbecue which was smoking away nicely before retuning to the kitchen where Sam was clearing up. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned back into his chest. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he squeezed her tightly.

"God, this feels good," he murmured in her ear as she squeezed his arms in response.

"You know what would feel better?" She asked, pulling away and turning to face him still wrapped in the circle of his arms. He tilted his head questioningly. "This," she whispered, closing the gap between them and running her tongue along his lips. He kissed her hungrily, placing his hands under her ass as he lifted her up until she had her legs wrapped around his hips and her arms around his neck, hands buried in his hair. He stumbled forwards into the table, swiping away the empty wooden fruit bowl and a pile of dish towels onto the floor. The bowl hit the floor with a clatter as Jack lowered Sam onto the table. She leant backwards and pulled him down with her, their lips still frantically crashing together as she gripped him tightly between her thighs.

Sam pulled her lips from his and tilted her head back as he kissed his way along her throat as she gasped for breath. She blindly reached for the buttons on his jeans as he began fumbling with her zipper, struggling to focus as he felt her hand on him through the denim she was so frantically trying to remove. Lifting her up once more, he mumbled something which sounded like bedroom, and carried her down the hall, not caring about the protests currently coming from his knee. Kicking the door shut behind them, he lowered Sam onto the bed just as she pushed his jeans off his hips. Yanking her own jeans off in one smooth tug, she then reached for his t-shirt as he pushed hers up. He began suckling on her taught tip through the lace of her bra as she moaned and rubbed herself against him.

"I want you," she growled in a tone so familiar it gave Jack a momentary pause. His eyes sparkled with surprise as she pressed her lips firmly to his and nipped at his lip with her teeth. Mentally shrugging, he returned her kisses with equal fervour as she slipped a hand under his boxers and rubbed along his length. He moaned as he pushed his boxers off his hips and tugged at her underwear until it fell to the floor. He pressed himself up against her, surprised to find that she was ready. He buried himself inside of her as she dug her fingers into his back, meeting him thrust for thrust and encouraging him to speed up. He knew he wouldn't last long but, from the sounds she was making he suspected neither would she. She tilted her hips to get a better angle and suddenly she was panting his name and shuddering violently beneath him. Her sudden tightening around him tipped him over the edge as he closed his eyes and followed her lead, white stars exploding behind his eyelids.

They lay together, eyes closed, for several minutes, neither having the breath to speak. Jack recovered first.

"Well, that escalated quickly," he quipped as Sam turned toward him and chuckled.

"Ya think?" She responded, still slightly breathless, throwing an arm over her eyes.

After several more minutes of silent breathing, Sam looked over at him.

"We should probably get dressed or the guys will be wondering where dinner is," she sighed.

"Don't worry," Jack assured her, "the fish still have another half hour..." He tailed off as he leaned over to kiss her.

#%#%#%#

Just as the sun began to set, Teal'c and Daniel gathered the lawn furniture and headed into the cabin.

They found Sam quietly preparing the table for their evening meal as Jack returned to the kitchen with a tray of steaming foil parcels.

"Impeccable timing," he announced as he laid the tray on the table and Sam retrieved the salad from the fridge. She placed a lemon on the tray beside the fish and sliced it into quarters before taking her seat and joining the guys. Teal'c cracked open 4 beers and Daniel raised his bottle in a toast.

"To the end of a war and new beginnings," he said, eyes shining gleefully towards Sam and Jack at the last part. They all raised their glasses followed by a chorus of echoes.

"Alright, let's dig in, shall we?" Jack offered as he placed a fish parcel on everyone's plates.

Over dinner they chatted about Ry'ac and Cassie, about their plans for the future and reminisced about their past misadventures. By the time dessert rolled round, they were cheerful, well-fed and relaxed. Sam set about clearing the table with help from Daniel as Teal'c and Jack retired to the living room to start the fire.

Sam washed and Daniel dried in a pattern honed over many streams and rivers on other worlds. On the third plate, Daniel nudged Sam's shoulder playfully.

"So... you and Jack, huh? How's that going?"

Sam smiled and stared down into the dishwater, nudging him back.

"It's going just fine, thanks," she answered cryptically as he raised an eyebrow.

"What, no slip ups of him trying to order you to modify the generator or you accidentally using his rank instead of his name?" He teased.

As a slow blush crept up Sam's ears, Daniel turned to her and stared pointedly crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation. Turning to him and awkwardly fiddling with the dish towel, she waved her hands about in front of her.

"Ok, ok, so I may have called him 'Sir' a couple of times... you know," she finished vaguely as Daniel's eyes widened and he burst out laughing. "It's not funny!" She exclaimed at him, a smile breaking out across her face at his laughter and her embarrassment. Daniel waved her off.

"I'm...I'm sorry, it's just..." He hiccuped between breaths, "I can picture the look on Jack's face," he continued. As his laughter subsided, he placed a hand on her arm. "After eight years of you 'Sir'-ing him to death, I'm not surprised," he added. "No wonder it's taking you time to adjust." He squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I think I know Jack well enough to tell you that I'm fairly certain he doesn't mind," he said quietly. "At least not from you," he added with a wink. Sam folded her arms across her chest.

"Daniel," she warned, waiting for him to explain. Daniel's eyes shifted to the door and shuffled closer to Sam. Lowering his voice he nodded towards the living room.

"A couple of years ago he took Teal'c and I to a... bar," he recalled frowning at the memory of jell-o rings and semi-naked women, "let's just say we all had a few too many tequilas and he wound up complaining into his beer about how a certain Major was probably getting laid with some hot young stud while he sat around eating peanuts and watching jello wrestling with an alien and Indiana Jones' son," Daniel smirked, "His only consolation was that he still got to hear you call him 'Sir' in the morning."

Sam looked affronted.

"You guys went to jello wrestling?!" She spat half in shock, half in mild disgust. Daniel grimaced.

"It was when you had your glowy house guest," he confessed, seeing recognition dawn on her face, "and-"

"And Jack and Teal'c turned up on my doorstep with pizza and movies," she finished, nodding. "He thought I had company." It was a statement, not a question.

"Well, in a way, you did," Daniel pointed out and received a friendly dig in the ribs for his troubles.

"Well, yeah, but Orlin and I never..." She trailed off, "Chance would have been a fine thing!" She muttered under her breath and shot Daniel a 'what?' stare at his shocked expression. "Oh, come on!" She exclaimed with a smirk, "You guys had all been laid at least once in the time that I'd known you... Six years!" She said exasperatedly. "And the last guy had been Jonas!" She added with mild horror.

Daniel rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Well, to be fair, Hathor was one I'd quite like to have no memory of," he grimaced, "and I'm certain Jack would like to forget that time he got the mother of all STDs..." She swatted him on the arm.

"You're right, I'm sorry. But, still, you all did have... options at least. I was stuck between McKay, Felger and a dead end!"

Daniel laughed.

"I'll tell Jack you called him that," he said waving a hand in the direction of the door.

Sam glared at him.

"You know what I meant," Sam scolded lightly.

Daniel took a deep breath and paused before asking her the question he'd been dying to ask for over a year.

"So, uh, does that explain Pete?" he asked cautiously, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Sam stared at him wide-eyed and blurted out the first thing that came into her head.

"Yes! Now why would you..." Clamping a hand over her mouth, Sam paused mid-sentence. "I mean, no!" Sam stumbled over her words as Daniel gave her a sympathetic glance. "No, that's... I mean who... that's not what... that's so unfair to him," she sighed. "Pete was a good guy," she explained, "I just never meant for it to go that far," she paused. "We were just having fun and then suddenly there was a ring and a house and talk of kids and I... panicked." She gestured around her vaguely. "In case you hadn't noticed, I kind of suck at this whole personal life thing. I thought he was offering me the life I should want so I accepted." Sam laughed bitterly. "I'd lost the one person I knew who would have, could have, said something to make me realise..."

"Janet," Daniel said softly, squeezing her arm as much for his own comfort as Sam's at their shared loss.

Sam looked up to try to stop her eyes from welling up.

"God, I'm so pathetic," she whispered, hugging her arms to her chest protectively. Daniel wrapped his arm around her and hugged her to him.

"You're not pathetic, Sam, you were going through hell. And we weren't there for you."

Sam pulled away slowly, nodding her thanks at him.

"Did you know I asked him?" She said nodding in Jack's direction. Daniel frowned. "He came to see me in my lab just after Pete proposed and I showed him the ring. Me and my big mouth..." she added quietly. "You know what I said to him, Daniel?" She said angrily as he calmly shook his head. "I asked him where he'd be if things had been different." She waved her arms angrily. "Of all the things I possibly could have said..." she trailed off, scrubbing her hands over her face. "I've thought about that day a million times over and I still can't believe I said it," she confessed. "Of all the insensitive, horrible things I could have..." Sam hung her head. "I should be grateful that he's still even speaking to me."

Daniel pulled her into his arms and squeezed her gently.

"He knows, Sam. He knows you didn't mean it that way." He whispered into her ear. Sam buried her chin in his shoulder.

"You can't know that, Daniel," She squeezed him back. "And I hurt him. God... the look on his face..." After a few minutes she pulled back and Daniel opened his mouth to speak when someone cleared their throat. They both turned to find Jack leaning against the door with an over-exaggerated questioning look on his face.

"Ahem... should I be worried?" He quipped, a ghost of a smile on his face, as Sam squeezed Daniel's arm in thanks and gave him one last look before turning back to Jack.

"Only if you are eager to fill the role of my annoying, chatty younger brother," she said, her face betraying her harsh-sounding words.

Daniel smiled smugly at Jack who smiled back. Sam turned to grab a glass of water and, with her back turned, Jack motioned his head to Daniel to go find Teal'c. Daniel frowned and Jack nodded. Daniel closed his eyes in understanding and walked towards the door. He'd heard their conversation. Just as Daniel stepped past Jack, he gave him a reassuring pat on the arm and squeezed his shoulder in thanks. Daniel nodded then disappeared down the hall.

Jack walked to the sink and leaned against the counter with his arms folded, looking down at Sam as she emptied the glass. He waited for her to finish and then silently took the glass from her hand, placing it on the draining board. Sam frowned at him in confusion.

"Listen, Sam, I'm not very good at this talking stuff," he started awkwardly and pausing for a few moments. "And I think you're about as good at it as I am," he said with a sad smile, "So I'm just gonna say this and I'm only going to say it once: I have a long list of regrets in my life, but you have never been nor will ever be one of them."

Sam's face reddened in realisation.

"You heard," she stated. He nodded his head.

Sam hung her head.

"What I said to you that day... well, it was inexcusable and I'm sorry for the way it came out." She rubbed her thumb across his wrist. "I never meant to hurt you."

She stepped away from him and stared at the ceiling. He approached her from behind and laid a hand on her shoulder. Turning her to face him, he pulled her into a fierce hug. He buried his head in her shoulder and planted a soft kiss on her neck.

"Charlie loved it here," he whispered into her neck. "Someday, I'll tell you all about him," he said squeezing her tightly. She squeezed him back even harder.

"I'd like that," she replied, stroking his hair, content to wait until he was ready. Pulling back, he planted a gentle kiss on her lips. He knew she deserved more but his old life and new life had rarely met and he didn't want to risk this fledgling relationship by rushing things. He'd screwed up enough in his life to finally know when to take baby steps and his feelings over Charlie was the one card he would always hold most tightly to his chest. And, for some unfathomable reason that he could only ever chalk down to sheer amazing luck, he had found a woman who was willing to accept him, baggage and all, who somehow understood.

And that, in a nutshell, was his absolute favourite thing about Samantha Carter.


End file.
